By
Telecom Lead Team: The global smartphone applications processor market reported
70 percent growth at $7.9 billion in 2011. Qualcomm, Samsung, Texas
Instruments, Marvell and Broadcom are the top-five smartphone applications
processor vendors based on revenue share rankings in 2011.
For
the first time, Qualcomm led the smartphone applications processor market in
unit terms in 2011, snatching the long-held crown from Texas Instruments. In
revenue terms, Qualcomm continues to lead with approx. 50 percent revenue
share.
During
2011, Qualcomm strongly benefited from its broad Snapdragon processor
portfolio, strong presence in multiple software ecosystems and excellent
relationships with almost all top-tier smartphone vendors.
The
dynamic smartphone applications processor market share rankings continue to
reflect on-going changes in the smartphone manufacturer landscape, according to
Strategy Analytics.
Broadcom
reached the top-five rankings in 2011 for the first time, thanks to its Android
design-wins. Broadcom’s applications processor shipments showed over 500
percent year-on-year growth in 2011.
NVIDIA
performed well in its first year in smartphones and finished as the number six
player in both unit terms and revenue terms in 2011. Despite its first mover
advantage with dual-core processors, NVIDIA lost momentum in the second half of
2011.
Stand-alone
applications processors accounted for 40 percent of total smartphone
applications processor revenues in 2011 and out-grew baseband-integrated
applications processors, thanks to Apple, Samsung, Texas Instruments, NVIDIA
and Qualcomm.
During
2011, Qualcomm strongly benefited from its broad Snapdragon processor portfolio,
strong presence in multiple software ecosystems and excellent relationships
with almost all top-tier smartphone vendors. The Android ecosystem continues to
be a big growth driver for Qualcomm and enabled it to capture approx. 50
percent revenue share in the overall smartphone applications processor market
in 2011,” said Sravan Kundojjala, senior analyst and the author of the report.
Strategy
Analytics believes that new entrants Broadcom and NVIDIA performed very well in
2011 and scored significant design-wins. Both companies are well positioned to
capture further share in 2012 with improved product portfolios,” said Stuart
Robinson, director of the Strategy Analytics Handset Component Technologies
service.